1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to information systems, and more particularly, to systems and methods for associating entities related to information systems with descriptions. In one example, computer application entities may be associated with natural language descriptions and may be provided to a user in response to the user inputting such descriptions through an application interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the advent of the Internet and other information systems, a profusion of search mechanisms, routing systems, menu-based interfaces, and other navigation tools have emerged. Such tools are often employed to assist users in searching, utilizing, maneuvering through, and gaining access to information related to a particular system.
Search engines are commonly used with Internet and other computer applications. Typically, search engines index the content of a given system, and provide users with results by comparing queries with entries in the index. Conventional searching systems, however, cannot be tailored to a plurality of users having distinctive vernaculars and/or language preferences. Further, typical search engines are unable to dynamically learn by user feedback. That is, the utility of conventional searching tools does not improve with increased use. Moreover, conventional searching mechanisms are limited by a user's ability to articulate the query. For example, the user will not obtain useful results if the searching system fails to recognize the inputted query or the inputted query does not properly relate to the information sought.
Certain Internet search engines allow users to enter natural language queries, such as “How much did the Dow Jones industrial average fall today?” However, these systems are not easily personalized for different users. In addition, these systems often lack the ability to dynamically update and revise associations between natural language descriptions and system entities based on user feedback. Moreover, like other conventional search engines, these systems are typically limited in their ability to retrieve non-text items using natural language queries.
Typical user interfaces, employed by computer applications and automated systems, utilize directories and/or trees. Often, hierarchically-structured subject directories are used to organize information by topics and subtopics. Tree structures locate information by making successive choices at various decision points, or nodes. Automated call routing systems, for example, often employ decision trees and hierarchical menus for routing users to various destinations. Such systems, however, are inefficient and time-consuming: A user must perform several steps and/or selections before reaching a destination, which is often times not the destination desired by the user. Further, when an undesired destination is reached, the user must start the entire process over in order to reach the target destination.
Accordingly, it may be beneficial to provide users of information systems with the ability to navigate through such systems using natural language descriptions. It may be advantageous to provide a navigation tool which can be personalized, and which can adaptively and dynamically associate descriptions provided by users with various entities, thereby acquiring utility from increased use. Moreover, it may be beneficial to enable associations to be modified using feedback obtained from a user and utilize such modifications to provide users with useful results.